ITF WORLD TENNIS TOUR ORGANISATIONAL REQUIREMENTS 2022
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2022
ITF WORLD TENNIS TOUR
ORGANISATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Version: 2022 v.1
Underlined text indicates updates for 2022
Page 1 of 62
2022 ITF WORLD TENNIS TOUR
ORGANISATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
I ORGANISING MEN’S & WOMEN’S TOURNAMENTS
DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC 4
II GENERAL
1. ITF World Tennis Tour 6
2. Men’s ITF World Tennis Tour 7
3. Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour 7
4. Important Deadlines 9
5. Tournament Sanction Applications 9
6. Financial Guarantee 10
7. Tournament Sanction Fees 10
8. Tournament Cancellations / Organisational Changes 11
9. ITF World Tennis Tour Calendar 11
10. ITF World Tennis Tour Regulations 11
11. ITF Responsibility 12
12. Tournament Information / Fact Sheet 12
13. Primary Health Care Programme – Women Only 12
14. Safeguarding Issues 12
15. Invoicing and Payment of Collected Monies 13
16. Tournament Entry Fees 13
17. Media, Commercial and Data Rights 13
18. ITF Partnerships 13
III TOURNAMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
A. TOURNAMENT SUPPORT PERSONNEL
1. Tournament Administrator / Tournament Organiser /Director 15
2. Officials 15
3. Tournament Assistants / Tournament Desk 16
4. Tournament Doctor 16
5. Sports Physiotherapist 17
6. Court Maintenance Staff 18
7. Stringer 18
8. Accreditation Staff 19
9. Ball Persons 19
10. Press Officer 19
11. Massage Therapist 20
12. Volunteer Staff 20
13. Covid-19 Officer 20
B. TOURNAMENT VENUE AND FACILITIES
1. Venue Type 20
2. Courts 21
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3. Court Equipment 24
4. Two Tournament Sites 24
5. Combined (Men’s and Women’s) Tournaments 24
6. Lights 25
7. Schedule of Matches 25
8. ITF Supervisor’s Office 26
9. Internet Access 26
10. Live Scoring / Data Rights 27
11. Data Protection / Integrity Measures 28
12. Live Streaming 29
13. Venue Access and Credential System 29
14. Locker Rooms 31
15. Player Lounge 32
16. Treatment and Fitness Room 32
17. On-site Anti-Doping Testing Facility 32
18. Restaurant / Food Service 33
19. Prize Money Office / Banking Facilities 33
20. Hotels / Accommodation / Hospitality 34
21. Laundry 36
22. Transport 37
23. Wild Cards 37
C. TOURNAMENT EXPENSES
1. Prize Money, Hospitality & Transport 38
2. Officials 39
3. Medical Equipment / Materials 40
4. Balls 40
5. Water, Ice and Towels (On Court Supplies) 41
6. Insurance 41
7. ITF Branding Guidelines 41
8. Tournament Promotion 42
APPENDICES
A. Contact Details 43
B. Minimum Officiating Requirements 44
C. Recommended Foods and Drinks 49
D. Important Deadlines 51
E. Branding Guidelines 52
F. Security 57
G. Venue Access and Credential System 58
H. Blended Lines 61
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I Organising Men’s & Women’s tournaments during the Covid-19
pandemic
Introduction
In order to support the safe organisation of international tennis tournaments, the ITF has devised
protocols that all tournament hosts and participants must follow to mitigate the risk of exposure to,
and spread of, Covid-19.
Detailed information has been published on the ITF website here. All Tournament Organisers are
required to read and adhere to the Protocols, with the principal document being:
• ITF Return to International Tennis Protocols – Tournament Hosts
If there are any inconsistencies between the terms of these Organisational Requirements and the
terms of the ITF Return to International Tennis Protocols, the terms of the ITF Return to International
Tennis Protocols shall prevail.
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II GENERAL
ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments must comply with the provisions of the 2022 ITF World Tennis Tour
Regulations and the 2022 ITF World Tennis Tour Organisational Requirements (this document, also referred
to as the “Requirements”). These regulations only refer to Men’s and Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour
Tournaments and not to ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Tournaments.
Any sanctioning National Association and the Tournament Organiser where separate (jointly the
“Applicant”) awarded a one (1) year sanction on the Men’s or Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour Calendar
shall be subject to, and shall be bound by and comply with the ITF World Tennis Tour Regulations, ITF
Return to Tennis Protocols and the ITF Guide to Recommended Health Care Standards, each of which
may be amended from time to time.
Applicants are advised that the documents entitled “2022 Organisational Requirements” and “Guide to
Recommended Health Care Standards for Tennis” are essential reading prior to completion and
submission of a Tournament application.
Responsibility for ensuring compliance with these Requirements lies with the Applicant, which must
also ensure sufficient financial securities are in place. Any queries should be directed to the ITF Tours and
Player Pathway Department (see Appendix A for contact details).
ITF reserves the right to refuse approval of or cancel any previously sanctioned tournament or series of
tournaments on the grounds of health, safety, security or any other potential risk to the successful
running of the tournament(s), including without limitation, any risk posed by the continuation and/or
re-emergence of COVID-19, with no liability to the National Association, Tournament Organiser or ITF.
The Applicant is responsible for ensuring suitable safety and security plans are put in place for the
tournament that comply with local laws, regulations and best practice. This includes the timely
completion and submittal of ITF security documents where specifically requested by the ITF.
The ITF reserves the right to amend these Requirements at any time. Updated versions of the document
will be published on the ITF Website and National Associations are encouraged to distribute the most
up-to-date document to Tournament Organisers.
Key documents and helpful information regarding the organisation of men’s and women’s Tournaments
on the ITF World Tennis Tour are available on the dedicated sections of the ITF World Tennis Tour
website.
https://www.itftennis.com/en/about-us/organisation/publications-and-resources/tournament-
organisers/
Specific organisational requirements are set out in this document.
Health, Safety and Security
The health, safety and security of all persons involved in the Tournament, including players, officials,
Tournament staff and spectators, are of principal importance. The Applicant is responsible for ensuring an
adequate security plan for the protection of all involved persons against any such problems is in place and
implemented for the Tournament.
The National Association, in association with the Tournament Organiser, must make the ITF aware
immediately of any major issues or threats (e.g. political unrest, health epidemic, natural disaster) that
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could impact the progress of the Tournament or the health, safety or security of persons involved, whether
they occur in advance of or during the Tournament.
Tournament Organisers and National Associations are advised to have preparations in place to handle
emergency situations. Please see Appendix F Security. The ITF reserves the right to request that the
Applicant to submit security documentation for the Tournament or have additional security measures put
in place because of security concerns
Tournament Organisers are expected to monitor weather and if necessary, with consultation with the ITF
Supervisor make modifications to play in cases of extreme weather conditions such as heat, lightning, or
other severe weather conditions. The Tournament Organiser and ITF Supervisor must adhere to the
Extreme Weather Rule (Appendix E in the ITF World Tennis Tour Regulations) and the tournament must
have a temperature and humidity recording device (e.g. sling psychrometer) to measure the Heat Index.
Security Guidelines have been sent to all National Associations and are available on the ITF website. These
guidelines must be followed, and any questions directed to the ITF.
1 ITF World Tennis Tour
The ITF World Tennis Tour is the name for all ITF professional tournaments, which includes Men’s ITF
tournaments offering $15,000 and $25,000 in prize money and ITF Women’s tournaments offering
$15,000, $25,000, $60,000, $80,000 and $100,000.
Each tournament will be identifiable by gender, prize money, host city and colour. For example:
M25 Toronto describes a Men’s $25,000 tournament in Toronto (Canada).
W15 Santa Cruz describes a Women’s $15,000 tournament in Santa Cruz (Bolivia).
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2 Men’s ITF World Tennis Tour
A. ITF World Tennis Tour 15s (Tournaments offering $15,000 in prize money)
1. 15s (for example M15 Manacor) can be played over 7 or 8 days, including singles qualifying, and
offer $15,000 in prize money.
2. Tournaments running 48/64 qualifying draws must be played over 8 days from Sunday to
Sunday. Qualifying can be played over 2 days or 3 days. If played over 2 days, players MUST be
given a rest day between qualifying and main draw (subject to weather). It is recommended to
play qualifying over three days.
3. Tournaments running 32 qualifying draws can be played over 7-8 days. Qualifying can be played
over 1 day or 2 days. If played over 1 day, players MUST be given a rest day between qualifying
and main draw (subject to weather).
4. Tournaments wishing to host an alternate qualifying size must contact the ITF. **(See below).
5. 15s will award ATP ranking points. There are no additional ATP ranking points for $15,000
tournaments offering hospitality.
6. 15s will award ITF World Tennis Ranking points in the qualifying.
B. ITF World Tennis Tour 25s (Tournaments offering $25,000 in prize money)
1. 25s (for example M25 Toronto) can be played over 7-8 days, including singles qualifying, and
offer $25,000 in prize money.
2. Tournaments running 48/64 qualifying draws must be played over 8 days from Sunday to
Sunday. Qualifying can be played over 3 days or 2 days. If played over 2 days, players MUST
be given a rest day between qualifying and main draw (subject to weather).
3. Tournaments running 32 qualifying draws can be played over 7-8 days. Qualifying can be
played over 2 days or 1 day. If played over 1 day, players MUST be given a rest day between
qualifying and main draw (subject to weather).
4. Tournaments wishing to host an alternate qualifying size must contact the ITF.** (See below).
5. 25s will award ATP ranking points. There are no additional ATP ranking points for $25,000
tournaments offering hospitality.
6. 25s will award ITF World Tennis Ranking points in qualifying.
3 Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour
C. ITF World Tennis Tour 15s (Tournaments offering $15,000 in prize money)
1. 15s (for example W15 Santa Cruz) can be played over 7 or 8 days, including singles qualifying,
and offer $15,000 in prize money.
2. Tournaments running 48/64 qualifying draws must be played over 8 days from Sunday to
Sunday. Qualifying can be played over 3 days or 2 days. If played over 2 days, players MUST be
given a rest day between qualifying and main draw (subject to weather). It is recommended to
play qualifying over three days.
Page 7 of 623. Tournaments running 32 qualifying draws can be played over 7-8 days. Qualifying can be played
over 2 days or 1 day. If played over 1 day, players MUST be given a rest day between qualifying
and main draw (subject to weather).
4. Tournaments wishing to host an alternate qualifying size must contact the ITF**(See below).
5. 15s award WTA ranking points. There are no additional WTA ranking points for 15s tournaments
offering hospitality.
6. 15s will award ITF World Tennis Ranking points in qualifying.
D. ITF World Tennis Tour 25s (Tournaments offering $25,000 in prize money)
1 25s (for example W25 Cancun) can be played over 7 or 8 days, including singles qualifying, and
offer $25,000 in prize money.
2 Tournaments running 48/64 qualifying draws must be played over 8 days from Sunday to
Sunday. Qualifying can be played over 3 days or 2 days. If played over 2 days, players MUST be
given a rest day between qualifying and main draw (subject to weather).
3 Tournaments running 32 qualifying draws can be played over 7 or 8 days. Qualifying can be
played over 2 days or 1 day. If played over 1 day, players MUST be given a rest day between
qualifying and main draw (subject to weather).
4 Tournaments hosting 48 Main Draw with a 32 qualifying draw must be played over 8 days.
5 Tournaments wishing to host an alternate qualifying size must contact the ITF**(See below).
6 25s award WTA ranking points. Tournaments offering complimentary hospitality (+H) to Main
Draw participants will offer additional WTA ranking points.
7 25s will award ITF World Tennis Ranking points in qualifying.
E. ITF World Tennis Tour 60s, 80s, and 100s (Tournaments offering $60,000, $80,000 and
$100,000 in prize money)
1 60s, 80s, 100s (for example W60 Kyoto or W100 Midland, MI) will be played over 7 or 8 days,
including singles qualifying. There are three prize money categories: $60,000, $80,000 and
$100,000.
2 Tournaments running 32 qualifying draws can be played over 7 or 8 days. Qualifying can be played
over 2 days or 1 day. If played over 1 day, players MUST be given a rest day between qualifying
and main draw (subject to weather).
3 Tournaments hosting 48 Main Draw with a 32 qualifying draw must be played over 8 days.
4 60s, 80s, 100s offer WTA ranking points. Tournaments offering complimentary hospitality (+H) to
Main Draw participants will offer additional WTA ranking points.
EXCEPTION: A Tournament may apply to the ITF for approval to have a qualifying draw of 24
players provided one of the following conditions is met:
▪ The Tournament has insufficient courts for a larger draw size and is an indoor
tournament;
▪ The Tournament had previously held a 24 qualifying draw in the previous two years.
▪ By exception as approved by the ITF.
Page 8 of 624 Important Deadlines (prior to the start of the Tournament)
*** Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ITF will accept 2022 tournament applications up to 12 (60,
80s, 100s) and 8 (15s & 25s) weeks prior to the tournament to encourage the hosting of
tournaments. However, organisers will need to be prepared to fulfil the remaining timeline
requirements below either immediately or promptly when due. ***
Those in square brackets are not in place for 2022
• [26 weeks (6 months) Application Deadline – Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour $60,000,
$80,000, $100,000 (section I.5)
• 17 weeks (4 months) Application Deadline – Men’s and Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour
$15,000 and $25,000 (section I.5)]
• 60 days Deadline to submit Cancellation, Postponement or Substantial
Tournament Changes without penalty (section I.8)
• 9 weeks Deadline to submit Fact Sheet for 60s, 80s & 100s
8 weeks Deadline to submit Fact Sheet for 15s & 25s (section I.12)
• 8 weeks Deadline to submit Officials Proposal (section II.A.2)
• 7 weeks (49 days) Deadline to submit a financial guarantee (section I.6) for
Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour $60K, $80K and $100K
• 5 weeks Deadline to submit Sports Physiotherapist Appointment for 60K
Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour (section II.A.5.2)
• Wednesday prior to Deadline to submit Wild Cards to the ITF, Service Bureau and
start of Tournament WTA.
• No later than Friday All payments to players by wire transfers must be sent to all
following the conclusion players and officials by the Friday following the Tournaments
of the Event. completion.
See Appendix D for full details of the various deadlines.
5 Tournament Sanction Applications
In order for Men’s & Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments to be approved and
sanctioned by the ITF for inclusion on the Calendars, the Tournament must have all necessary
approvals from the relevant National Association and, if appropriate, the Regional Association.
The National Association is responsible for submitting the application form(s) and remains
ultimately responsible for the proper organisation and running of the ITF World Tennis Tour
Tournament. Prior to supporting and submitting a Tournament application a National Association
must be fully appraised of the proposed Tournament site and organisation and be satisfied they
meet the necessary requirements and standards for the intended level of Tournament.
All information regarding Tournament sites, dates and draw sizes must be provided on the official
Page 9 of 62Tournament Application Form. Completed Tournament Application Forms, signed by the National
Association and the Tournament Organiser(s), must be submitted to the appropriate Service
Bureau (see Appendix A) a minimum of seventeen (17) weeks for Men’s and Women’s ITF World
Tennis Tour 15s and 25s or twenty-six (26) weeks for Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour 60s, 80s,
and 100s prior to the start date of the Tournament (defined as the Monday of the Tournament
Week). See Appendix D for further information on Tournament deadlines.
Tournament Application Forms are available:
• to download from the dedicated Tournament Organiser sections of the ITF World Tennis
Tour website https://www.itftennis.com/en/about-us/organisation/publications-and-
resources/tournament-organisers/
• on request from the appropriate Service Bureau.
Where an application is received to hold a Tournament in a new or recently renovated venue,
approval of the application is subject to a site check and written report being undertaken by the
National Association and the report being submitted to ITF for review. Pictures must be included
with all new application for Tournaments on the Men’s or Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour, which
must include photos of each match and practice court, the locker rooms, supervisor’s office,
players’ lounge, physio room, and fitness room. National Associations are expected to verify the
information provided by the Tournament Organiser.
Where an application is received to hold a new Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour 60, 80 or 100
Tournament, approval of the application is subject to an independent site check, at the expense
of the applicant, prior to a sanction being awarded. Where it is deemed necessary or appropriate
the ITF reserves the right, for any category of Tournament and prior to a sanction being awarded,
to request that a site check is conducted by the National Association.
6 Financial Guarantee for Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour 60s, 80s, and 100s
The Applicant must provide a financial guarantee for all Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour 60s, 80s
and 100s, no later than 49 days (7 weeks) prior to the start of the Tournament. This guarantee
can be in the form of;
a) an Irrevocable Letter of Credit from a reputable bank. The applicant must instruct their bank
to send the Letter of Credit to the ITF’s bank’s SWIFT code (NWBKGB2L) naming themselves
as the beneficiary and providing their address. SWIFT is a secure, electronic, bank-to-bank
transaction. An example letter can be found in Appendix 1 of the 2022 ITF World Tennis Tour
Application Form.
b) a security deposit. This must be the full amount of the prize money deposited to the ITF’s
bank account. The deposit will be returned to the sender at the completion of the
Tournament once all the prize monies have been paid out to participants.
c) a Letter of Guarantee for national associations who are due from the ITF either the share
payment from the Date Sales Activity or prize money from Davis Cup / Billie Jean King Cup.
An example letter can be found in Appendix 2 of the 2021 ITF World Tennis Tour Application
Form.
If the Applicant fails to provide the financial guarantee by the required deadline, then the ITF may
cancel the Tournament without any liability to the Applicant.
Page 10 of 627 Tournament Sanction Fees
Sanction Fee payments in 2022 are as follows:
Sanction Fee
(10% of total prize money)
Prize Money Level Men’s Tour Women’s Tour
$100,000 N/A $10,000
$80,000 N/A $8,000
$60,000 N/A $6,000
$25,000 $2,500 $2,500
$15,000 $1,500 $1,500
The appropriate Sanction Fee is to be collected by the National Association as soon as each
Tournament is approved for inclusion on the 2022 Calendar. The appropriate Service Bureau (ITF
or Tennis Europe) will issue an invoice to the National Association for the amount due, which
must be paid on receipt of the invoice, prior to the start of the Tournament. Where appropriate,
please read the “Guidelines for making payments to the ITF”.
8 Tournament Cancellations / Organisational Changes
No Men’s or Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour Tournament, may cancel, postpone or make
substantial changes to Tournament arrangements less than 60 days prior to the scheduled
commencement of the Tournament. Violation shall subject the Tournament to a fine of up to US
$5,000, forfeiture of all sums, if any, previously paid or due to the ITF, reimbursement of
unrecoverable expenses incurred and/or denial of subsequent applications.
9 ITF World Tennis Tour Calendar
Details of Men’s and Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments will be included in the
Calendars, which are available on the ITF World Tennis Tour website.
Men’s Calendar
Women’s Calendar
In addition, whenever possible, these Tournaments will be listed in the ATP Tour and WTA
Tournament Guides as a source of reference for the players. The ITF website provides limited
tournament information for integrity protection. A complete fact sheet is available in the player’s
IPIN account.
10 ITF World Tennis Tour Regulations
The ITF World Tennis Tour Regulations are issued and maintained by the ITF World Tennis Tour
Committee for the purpose of ensuring the orderly and fair administration of ITF World Tennis
Tour Tournaments. Each Tournament Applicant and each player entrant in an ITF World Tennis
Tour Tournament agrees, as a condition of such entry, to abide by and be subject to these ITF
World Tennis Tour Regulations, which hereinafter include the ITF World Tennis Tour Code of
Conduct and the ITF Welfare Policy, as amended from time to time by the ITF World Tennis Tour
Committee.
Page 11 of 6211 ITF Responsibility
The ITF will assist in the overall organisation of the ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments through
coordination of the international calendars and management of player entries.
12 Tournament Information / Fact Sheet
All information regarding tournament sites, dates, number of days or qualifying, draw sizes,
deadlines, hotel booking details, transportation, alternate practice sites, pre-qualifying/wild card
tournaments, visa contact, prize money tax deductions, ball type, prize money payment method,
and other relevant tournament information must be provided on the official ITF Fact Sheet and
returned to the relevant Service Bureau at least nine (9) weeks for 60s, 80s & 100s, and eight (8)
weeks for 15s & 25s before the Tournament Week to enable such information to be published on
the IPIN site for the players benefit. Some tournament information is published on the ITF website,
but it does not include hotel, supervisor or other key player information for integrity protection. The
National Association/Tournament Organiser will be held liable for any unrecoverable costs and
expenses incurred in the event that incorrect information is provided and subsequently published.
Failure to comply with the deadline for submission of Fact Sheet information may result in the
removal of a Tournament from the ITF Calendar.
13 Primary Health Care Programme – Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments ONLY
A deduction from players’ prize money is made at all Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour
Tournaments as a contribution towards the ITF Primary Health Care Programme (“PHCP”). This is
not an additional expense to the Tournament, rather a contribution from players towards the
provision of healthcare services across the Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour. This PHCP
contribution must be paid on to the ITF by the Tournament Organiser. At 15s and 25s
Tournaments 2% of prize money is paid to the ITF and at 80s and 100s 5% of prize money is paid
to the ITF. For 60s Tournaments 2% of prize money is paid to the ITF and the remaining 3% is
retained to cover the expense of the PHCP. For overall percentages see Prize Money and Points
sections in the Regulations. In the event of non-payment of any deductions made, the
Tournament may be subject to denial of any subsequent application until such time as all
outstanding monies due are received in full.
14 Safeguarding Issues
Each Tournament Organiser must provide on the Fact Sheet, the name and contact details (address,
email and telephone number) of the statutory authority in their country (or state, borough, region if
appropriate) that is responsible for receiving safeguarding issues. Each country handles these
matters differently, but typically the statutory authority would be the police or other local law
enforcement agency, a child protection agency, social services agency, national association or other
similar type organisation.
In addition, each tournament must provide a contact person on-site at the event which handles
safeguarding issues. The Tournament must provide the contact’s name email and phone number.
On the Tournament Fact Sheet, the ITF will also provide details of the ITF’s safeguarding reporting
process as well as the details of the safeguarding reporting process maintained by a third party,
Achieve Solutions.
Page 12 of 6215 Invoicing and Payment of Collected Monies
Outstanding players’ fines will be collected at the Tournament by the ITF Supervisor on behalf of the
ITF and must be paid on to the ITF by the National Association/Tournament Organiser. Following
completion of the Tournament, and on receipt of the Tournament report from the ITF Supervisor,
the ITF will issue a detailed invoice to the approving National Association outlining any sums due
(i.e. player fines, PHCP deductions etc) to aid the financial reconciliation process. Please read the
“Guidelines for making payments to the ITF” for full details. IPIN fees are no longer collected
onsite. Players should go to ipin.itftennis.com.
16 Tournament Entry Fees
The following entry fees may be charged by the Tournament Organiser per player prior to the
start of the Tournament or (if applicable) deducted from prize money at the discretion of the
Tournament Organiser. The Tournament Organiser must provide a receipt for fees collected
onsite. The entry fee can be collected in US Dollars or Euros or in local currency as stated on the
Fact Sheet.
Draw Maximum Fee (per player)
Qualifying (singles) or Qualifying (singles) Up to US$40 or €36
and Doubles
Main Draw (singles) or Main Draw (singles) Up to US$40 or €36
and Doubles
Doubles only Up to US$20 or €18
17 Media, Commercial and Data Rights
The ITF’ s regulations regarding media, commercial and data rights are detailed in the ITF
World Tennis Tour Regulations (Appendix F).
For the avoidance of doubt no sponsorship will be permitted either as part of the Commercial
Rights or as Tour Sponsor Rights to any entity in respect of tobacco products, hard liquor
products, betting companies, political activity or other category deemed to be detrimental to
the sport of tennis, as reasonably determined by ITF in consultation with the applicable
National Associations. It is permitted to appoint casinos or national, regional or state sports
lotteries as part of the above rights (with the prior approval of the ITF) provided they do not
offer tennis betting as part of their business activity.
18 ITF Partnerships
Tennis Point
Tennis-Point is the ITF’s Official Global Tennis Equipment Online Retail Partner and have
exclusive offers available for ITF Tournament Organizers.
Page 13 of 62Once your tournament is confirmed, create an account on http://partners.id.tennis/ and once
approved head over to the ITF Tennis-Point Shop to browse all offers and discounts available
across a wide product range.
The ITF Tennis-Point Shop, top selling brands and products including rackets, clothing, bags and
other accessories will be available at an exclusive 30% discount on RRP. Tennis balls will also
be available, starting with a discount.
www.itf-tennis-point.com
California Sports Surfaces (CSS)
California Sports Surfaces (CSS), a division of the ICP Group, is the Official Preferred Court
Supplier and the only supplier to have achieved the ‘Elite Silver supplier status’ of the ITF
Recognition programme.
The CSS brands, which include DecoTurf, Plexipave, Rebound Ace and Premier Sports Coatings,
have been used at Grand Slam tournaments and major international tennis events for several
decades.
CSS is available to provide full support to ITF stakeholders so if you are looking to develop a new
project and would like find out more, please click the link below and connect directly with a CSS
representative.
https://www.itftennis.com/en/about-us/tennis-tech/california-sports-surfaces/
III TOURNAMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
A TOURNAMENT SUPPORT PERSONNEL
National Associations and Tournament Organisers are reminded that ALL Tournament support
personnel are defined as “Covered Persons” and “Credentialed Persons” and are bound by and must
comply with all of the applicable provisions of the ITF World Tennis Tour Regulations Including the
ITF Code of Conduct, the ITF Guide to Recommended Health Care Standard, and the Tennis Anti-
Corruption Program (TACP).
“Covered Persons” is defined as any player, and any player’s coach, trainer, manager, agent,
medical or para-medical personnel and/or family member, tournament guest, or other similar
associate of any player, and any tournament personnel, such as an official, tournament director,
staff, volunteer, sponsor, health care provider, ITF staff member and members of the media that
accredited to attend an IT World Tennis Tour tournament.
All tournament staff working at professional tennis events are covered by the TACP and will remain
covered for a period of two years following the last event they worked at. It is each staff member’s
responsibility to be aware of and comply with the rules. These include prohibitions on betting on any
tennis event, and prohibitions on sharing with anyone non-public, sensitive information about a
tennis event or a player for betting purposes. Please see www.itia.tennis for further information.
Page 14 of 62It is recommended that all Tournament support personnel are screened for suitability prior to the
Tournament (see Appendix F – Security and Appendix G – Venue Access and Credential System).
1 Tournament Administrator / Tournament Organiser /Tournament Director
Each National Association must designate one or more persons (i.e. the Tournament
Administrator(s)) to be the point of contact for the ITF within the National Association for ITF
World Tennis Tour Tournaments.
The Tournament Administrator(s) is responsible for submitting the Application and Fact Sheet to
the ITF. In addition, the Tournament Administrator or their appointee is responsible for providing
letters in support of Visa Applications for players.
The National Association must also designate a Tournament Organiser (also known as the
Tournament Director) who will be responsible for all aspects of the organisation of the
Tournament, with the exception of all matters relating to the rules of competition as stated in the
ITF World Tennis Tour Regulations, the Rules of Tennis and all on-court issues, which are the
responsibility of the ITF Supervisor and/or ITF.
The Tournament Administrator and/or Tournament Organiser must be on-site throughout the
whole Tournament, ready to solve any problems related to the organisation of the Tournament,
players, officials, media and spectators. He/she must be English-speaking and be fully aware of
the responsibilities of his/her position. He/she is prohibited from competing in a Tournament for
which he/she is undertaking this/these role(s).
The Tournament Organiser shall act in cooperation with the ITF staff and ITF Supervisor and will
be responsible for compliance with the rules and regulations.
2 Officials
Please see the officiating requirements shown in Appendix B
Names of the designated officials must be provided to ITF Officiating at least eight (8) weeks in
advance of the Tournament (officiating@itftennis.com). Tournament Organisers and national
associations are encouraged to provide this information well in advance of the deadline. Failure to
comply with this deadline may result in the removal of the Tournament from the ITF Calendar.
2.1 ITF Supervisor
Each Tournament must appoint and provide an appropriately certified official, in accordance with
Appendix B, to act as ITF Supervisor. The ITF Supervisor must be available throughout the
Tournament Week, from the Qualifying Sign-in until after the final match of the Tournament has
been completed, unless otherwise approved by the ITF.
The ITF Supervisor is the final authority for on-site issues related to the Rules of Tennis, the Men’s
and Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour Regulations and all on-court matters.
• Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour 60s, and 80s must appoint a Silver Badge Referee. The
appointment must be approved in advance by the ITF.
• Women’s ITF World Tennis Tours 100s must appoint a Gold Badge Referee.
The ITF Supervisor’s fee and all related costs (see C Tournament Expenses) are the responsibility of
the Tournament Organiser and must be paid directly to the ITF Supervisor on site. For Tournaments
in the 80s and 100s and categories a grant is awarded by the ITF towards the expense of officiating
Page 15 of 62services at those Tournaments. The grant, in the amount of US$1,700 per Tournament and
equivalent to the minimum fee for ITF Supervisors, will be provided to the approving National
Association to administer as it determines appropriate and in support of the Joint Development
Group project (contact ITF Officiating for more details). The sanction fee invoice sent to National
Associations is reduced by USD $1700 for $80,000 and $100,000.
At all categories of Tournament, all other expenses related to the ITF Supervisor (i.e. flight, hotel,
local transportation, hospitality, meals and any other necessary expenses) are the responsibility of
the Tournament Organiser.
The Tournament Organiser is obliged to enforce the ITF Supervisor’s decisions on site if required,
for example denial of accreditation and/or access to the site following a default under the Code
of Conduct.
2.2 ITF Chair Umpires
The officiating requirements outlined in Appendix B are the minimum standards for Men’s and
Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments. National Associations that wish to supply a higher
certification level of officials or more officials than the minimum requirement are encouraged to do
so.
The Tournament is responsible for paying a fee, providing full hospitality (hotel and meals from the
night prior to commencement until the morning following the conclusion of the Tournament) and
covering travel expense for all Designated Chair Umpires (as per Minimum Officiating
Requirements). Non-designated chair umpires must be paid a fee as per their ITF Certification or as
approved by the National Association (for national chair umpires) and must also be provided with
meals and accommodation (if required).
3 Tournament Assistants / Tournament Desk
Each Tournament must provide sufficient personnel to assist the Tournament Organiser and the ITF
Supervisor with their administrative duties, e.g. ensuring smooth running of live scoring, payment of
prize money and IT/communications systems support. Other assistants, a number of whom should
ideally have previous Tournament support experience and be English-speaking, must also be
available to provide player support, i.e. assisting and advising players with Tournament related issues
such as practice court bookings, hotel reservations and transport arrangements. There must be a
telephone that accepts international phone calls at the Tournament Desk.
4 Tournament Doctor
The Tournament Organiser must appoint and pay all expenses for an English-speaking medical doctor
to be on call in proximity of the Tournament site at all times during playing hours. If it is more practical
or cost efficient for the Tournament that the doctor conducts necessary player consultations and
treatments off-site, the expense of consultations / treatments that could practically be conducted by
the doctor on-site remain the responsibility of the Tournament Organiser.
All players accepted and competing in the Tournament, including eligible Lucky Losers, shall be
eligible for treatment from the doctor, as a minimum for the duration of their participation in the
Tournament.
The cost of hospital treatment or any other off-site medical treatment (except as described above)
is the responsibility of participating players at all levels of Tournament.
Page 16 of 62Please see the ITF Guide to Recommended Health Care Standards for more information.
5 Sports Physiotherapist
All players accepted and competing in the Tournament, including eligible Lucky Losers, shall be
eligible for treatment from the Sports Physiotherapist, as a minimum through the day of elimination.
Where the Tournament Organiser is responsible for appointing the Sports Physiotherapist, he/she
must ensure the Sports Physiotherapist has appropriate qualifications and experience to treat
players. Sports Physiotherapists should be familiar with the ITF’s medical treatment procedures and
the general ITF Rules of Tennis.
5.1 Men’s ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments
The Tournament Organiser must appoint an English-speaking Sports Physiotherapist to provide
on-site health care services for the players beginning one hour before matches commence until
completion of all matches. It is recommended that all reasonable off-court treatment is also
provided free of charge to players.
5.2 Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments
A. At Women’s 15s and 25s Tournaments, the Tournament Organiser must appoint an English-
speaking Sports Physiotherapist to provide on-site health care services for the players
beginning one hour before matches commence until completion of all matches. It is
recommended that all reasonable off-court treatment is also provided free of charge to
players.
B. At Women’s 60s Tournaments, the Tournament Organiser must appoint an English-speaking
Sports Physiotherapist to provide on-site health care services for the players beginning one
hour before matches commence until completion of all matches. In addition, the tournament
must appoint a second English-speaking Sports Physiotherapist that will be available from the
start of Qualifying for the first four days of the Tournament. The name and details of both of
the appointed Sports Physiotherapist must be sent to the ITF (womens@itftennis.com) 5
weeks before the start of the Tournament using the Appointment Form supplied on the
website in the Tournament Organiser information. For guidance on appointing a qualified
Sports Physiotherapist, please see the Appointment of a Physiotherapist Guide available on
the website under Tournament Organisers. The cost of any on-site treatment administered
to players by the Sports Physiotherapist must be free of charge. The ITF will provide a grant
of USD$1,500 to the National Association to cover the cost associated with the second Sports
Physiotherapist. All costs with hiring both Sports Physiotherapist are the responsibility of the
Tournament Organiser and the Tournament Organiser should contact the National
Association regarding the grant. The Tournament Organiser is responsible for hotel, meals,
training supplies, local transportation, etc. If the Sports Physiotherapists are provided with
hotel accommodation, then each must be provided with their own room.
The National Associations must submit an invoice to the ITF for USD$1500 for $60,000
tournaments. The invoice must include:
• Organisation/Individual name and address
• Name and date of the Tournament
• Date of Request
• Invoice number
Page 17 of 62• Description of nature of payment
• Amount and currency
• Bank account to be paid (in international format and including any
intermediary/correspondent banks if applicable) which should match the name of the
organisation or person issuing the invoice*.
C. At Women’s 80s and 100s Tournaments, the ITF will appoint two English-speaking Sports
Physiotherapist. One Sports Physiotherapist will be available on-site during play for the
duration of the event. The second Sports Physiotherapist will be available from the start of
qualifying for a minimum of four days to assist with the event. All on-site treatment must be
free of charge to the players. The ITF will pay the travel expenses (if necessary) and fee for
the Sports Physiotherapist, but all other expenses for the two Sports Physiotherapist (hotel,
meals, local transportation etc.) will be the responsibility of the Tournament Organiser. If the
Sports Physiotherapists are provided with hotel accommodations, then each must be
provided with their own room. The ITF will send the training supplies for these events.
As part of the ITF’s Primary Healthcare Programme (PHCP), at all Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour
Tournaments a small deduction is made from the overall players’ prize money purse to contribute
to the provision of healthcare services at each Tournament and on the ITF World Tennis Tour in
general. This is not an additional expense to the Tournament. The Tournament Organiser will
receive instructions from the ITF about what deductions are made, including details of any
amount that may be retained by the Tournament and what must be paid to the ITF or appropriate
Service Bureau.
6 Court Maintenance Staff
The Tournament Organiser must appoint and pay all costs for a sufficient number of trained
personnel (dependent upon number of courts and court surface) responsible for the maintenance
of the courts, who must be available on-site at all times and keep all match and practice courts to a
required standard at all times (see Section B.2 – Courts, for further information).
Court services personnel should be trained and aware of local laws regarding the proper handling of
biohazardous waste.
7 Stringer
An experienced stringer must be available, preferably on-site, throughout the Tournament Week.
The stringer must be available during the scheduled playing hours. Most players will provide their
own string, therefore, a labour-only charge option must be available. It is recommended that the
tournament stringer use an electric stringing machine.
1) At a minimum, stringing service must be available beginning the day prior to the start of the
qualifying competition and continue through the last day of the competition, including any
additional days due to weather or other unavoidable circumstances.
2) The stringing service must be on-site a minimum of one (1) hour prior to the start time for
the first scheduled match of the day and must be available until the completion of play for
that day.
3) If play is scheduled at an approved alternate site, then access to the stringing service must
be provided at such alternate site from the start of play until play has been completed at
that site.
Page 18 of 624) The maximum stringing fee that can be charged when the player is providing his/her own string
is $15.00. It is recommended to keep the fee as low as possible to assist players with costs.
8 Accreditation Staff
Each tournament must have at least one staff member that will oversee the accreditation
process for the tournament. This individual and any other individuals responsible for
accreditation must manage the credential process for the tournament as per section 13
“Venue Access and Credential System” and Appendix G in this document.
The credential staff must ask for a photo Id, preferably passport to confirm the identity of
every person before handing over the accreditation.
The individual(s) responsible for accreditation must work in conjunction with the ITF
Supervisor and check the ITIA No Credential List, and ITF Banned and No Credential list and
must develop a system that follows the guidelines detailed in section “13. Venue Access and
Credential System” and Appendix G.
These list are already incorporated into the ITF UNO Platform and will not allow a non
credentialed person from obtaining a credential. These lists provided by the ITF Supervisor to
the Tournament are confidential and must not be shared with anyone not involved in the
accreditation process.
9. Ball Persons
All Ball Persons must be trained prior to going onto court for their first match. Ball Persons must
understand tennis scoring and specifically how tiebreakers are played. The Ball Person should know
their responsibilities and must be trained on procedures for warm-up, change-over and ball change
and positioning. Clothing for ball persons shall not be identical to the Officials’ uniform and shall not
be light coloured, particularly white or yellow. For outdoor Tournaments played in high
temperatures dark coloured clothing must not be worn. It is recommended to have a shaded space
for ball persons to gather before the start of play and for breaks during the day.
Men’s and Women’s 15s and 25s Tournaments
Where possible, ball persons should be provided for matches in the Main Draw, but only when
provided for all matches from the start of a given round.
Women’s 60s, 80s and 100s Tournaments
A minimum of three ball persons must be provided for all Main Draw matches and it is recommended
to have six (6) ball persons for the finals
10 Press Officer
It is recommended that a person who has good knowledge of tennis, has public relations or media
experience and has strong local media contacts is appointed Press Officer for the Tournament.
The responsibilities of a Press Officer may include issuing press releases about the Tournament
to local media and dealing with requests from media both in advance and during the Tournament.
This role can be combined with other duties within the Tournament organisation. Photos from
the finals (labelled with player names) and tournament stories should be sent to the ITF at
Mens@itftennis.com or womens@itftennis.com.
Page 19 of 6211 Massage Therapist
It is recommended that an English-speaking certified massage therapist is available for players to
access during the event. The massage therapist must be a licensed/certified (or International
equivalent) and formally trained massage therapist. A fee may be charged by the therapist for
his/her services. The ITF’s Massage Staff Checklist must be utilised by the tournament.
12 Volunteer Staff
Tournament can be more successful with the support of volunteers. Volunteers can fill a number
of valuable roles during a tournament, such as credential monitors for locker rooms or facility,
fitness facilities access, ball persons monitor, player lounge monitor, photographer, player
services assistance, scoring monitor, hospitality assistance, ticket office assistance, sponsorship
hospitality, ushers, or other similar roles. It is recommended that there is a coordinator for all
volunteers is created to handle the applications. It is important to screen these individuals and
follow local locals prior to them working. It is also important to provide clear job description and
duties for all individuals assisting with the tournament.
13 Covid-19 Officer
Please refer to the ‘ITF Return to International Tennis Protocols – Tournament Hosts’ for up to
date information about this role (Section 1).
B TOURNAMENT VENUE AND FACILITIES
1 Venue Type
The Tournament should be held at a single venue in either an indoor ^ or outdoor location and
must be defined as such on the Application Form. A combination of indoor and outdoor locations
is not permitted for a single Tournament unless circumstances out of the Tournament’s control,
e.g. bad weather, require matches to be moved to an alternative location. Tournament conditions
on all match courts must be the same.
Tournaments held outdoors are advised to consider creating a “bad weather” plan for staging the
Tournament in the case of bad weather, e.g. identifying nearby locations with indoor facilities that
may be used.
Tournament matches may not be played on some courts that are covered and some courts that are
not covered, except when weather disrupts the schedule.
The overall venue should be free of distractions from excessive noise from other events, such as
other sports games, matches, tournaments, concerts, etc. Tournament Organiser must make best
efforts to ensure all matches are free from outside distractions.
^ Definition of an indoor court
An indoor court is one which is completely covered by a roof, and for which playing conditions are
largely artificial.
Note: Artificial playing conditions would include artificial light, protection from rain, and little or no
wind. Courts housed under a permanent structure (including ‘air halls’) but without walls may be
defined as ‘indoor’ if the playing conditions are still largely artificial and temperature and/or humidity
can be manipulated. Covered courts (including courts with retractable roofs) may be defined as
Page 20 of 62‘outdoor’ – even if artificial lighting is required – if they are exposed to other environmental factors
or the roof is open by default.
2 Courts
The facility where the Tournament is held must have a sufficient number of courts of the same
surface (see further details below) available for match play and practice throughout the
Tournament Week. These courts must be provided free of charge to players still in competition.
All Qualifying and Main Draw matches must be played on the same surface, unless backup
facilities with different surface must be used to complete the Tournament due to adverse weather
conditions.
• For a tournament with Qualifying Draw size of 32, a minimum of three match courts* and
one practice court must be provided for an outdoor Tournament.
• For an Indoor tournament with Qualifying Draw size of 32, a minimum of two match courts
and one practice court must be provided.
• For a tournament with Qualifying Draw size of 48, a minimum of four match courts* and
one practice court must be provided for an outdoor Tournament and a minimum of three
match courts and one practice court must be provided for an indoor Tournament.
• For a tournament with Qualifying Draw size of 64, a minimum of five match courts* and
one practice court must be provided for an outdoor Tournament and a minimum of four
match courts and one practice court must be provided for an indoor Tournament.
• For a tournament with a 48 Main Draw with a 32 qualifying, a minimum of four match
courts* and one practice court must be provided.
Any deviation from the above requirements must be approved by the ITF and the tournament
must send a Match Schedule Plan (MSP) to the ITF, proapplications@itftennis.com, for
advanced approval. An MSP is required for all tournaments playing on two match courts.
Combined tournaments
• There must be a minimum of six match courts and two practice courts for 32 Main draw
and Qualifying Draws in each event.
• There must be a minimum of eight match courts and two practice courts for 32 Main draw
and 48 Qualifying Draws in each event.
• There must be a minimum of nine match courts on the first day of play and two practice
courts for 32 Main draw and 64 Qualifying Draws in each event.
For events with a women’s 48 main draw or other combination of qualification draw sizes
please contact the ITF with questions and approval.
*Sufficient daylight hours (if outdoors and no lights available) are required to complete the
tournament schedule, potentially up to 9 hours and Tournament Organisers must consider this
when applying to host ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments.
Match courts must be available for a minimum of 9 hours per day for the first four days of
competition, except with the approval of the ITF.
Page 21 of 62Note: Women’s 100s cannot be staged on artificial clay or artificial grass courts.
Practice Courts
The practice courts shall be booked and managed by experienced staff that are able to
coordinate all practice courts bookings in a fair manner.
A. Minimum Number of Courts
1. A minimum of one practice court (2 courts for combined events) must be available
for a minimum of 9 hours each day. It is recommended that tournaments reserve
additional practice courts available for participants where possible.
2. It is strongly recommended to have a minimum of two practice courts for
Women’s W60, W80 and W100 events.
B. Access to Courts
1. Practice courts must be available free of charge a minimum of one day prior to
the start of the Qualifying Tournament for all Singles and Doubles Main Draw and
Qualifying players, as well as Alternates where possible.
2. Where restricted by availability of practice courts, players in Qualifying and
Singles Alternates shall have priority for practice on the day prior to the start of
Qualifying. In general, players competing on a given day shall have priority to use
practice courts.
C. General Guidelines and Principles
1. Practice courts must be of a similar speed and surface to the match courts
2. Practice courts must be available free of charge to all players accepted into the
Main, Qualifying and Doubles Draw until elimination.
3. Lucky Losers who lost in the last round of qualifying must also be allowed to
practice free of charge until all first-round singles matches are played.
4. The top three signed-in alternates each day in singles and the top three signed-in
alternate doubles teams each day must be allowed to practice free of charge until
all first-round matches are played.
5. Eliminated players have no automatic right to be granted access to practice
courts, with exception of tournaments located at the same venue who are hosting
more than one consecutive week, where eliminated players must be afforded
some accessibility to practice, as agreed with the ITF.
6. Where a tournament determines that access to practice courts shall be granted
to eliminated players, all such players shall be treated equitably in terms of court
time and applicable charges.
7. It is encouraged that access to practice courts for eliminated players shall be free
of charge. Where access to the facility is normally chargeable for non-residents
and where a charge is made this shall be not more than $10 per court per hour
(or half-court if necessary) including any entrance fee, or a maximum fee of $15 a
day. Fee amounts must be detailed on the Fact Sheet.
8. Where an access fee is applied, eliminated players must leave the facility
immediately following completion of their practice session. Players may not
remain on site (for example to watch matches) unless expressly authorised to do
Page 22 of 62so by the Tournament Organiser. Failure to abide by this condition shall be
considered a violation of the Code of Conduct.
9. Access to courts for matches and practice must be the same for all players staying
in the tournament’s official hotel(s). Tournaments may not have one fee for
players booking through a tournament organiser and another fee for those who
booked through travel agencies or other booking websites.
Court Requirements
The sanctioning National Association and Tournament Organiser must ensure that the match courts
conform fully to Rule 1 of the Rules of Tennis. As a guide, for international competitions the
recommended distance between the baselines and the backstops is 21 feet (6.40m) and between
the side-lines and the side stops the recommended distance is 12 feet (3.66m). The recommended
height to the ceiling (where appropriate) is 30 feet (9.14m). Only those venues which conform to the
distances recommended may be proposed to host ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments, unless the
prior approval of the ITF has been obtained.
All Tournament courts (match play and practice) must have the same performance characteristics –
they must be of the same surface type (e.g. clay) and court pace classification (e.g. Category 2
(medium-slow)), as defined by the ITF Technical Centre (visit https://www.itftennis.com/en/about-
us/tennis-tech/classified-surfaces/ for more information) – and the court surfaces must have the
same appearance, e.g. surface colours. The courts used at a Tournament need not be the same
product/brand. Where multiple products are used and not classified, court pace testing of the courts
may be required.
All courts must be of a quality suitable for international competition, whereby court surfaces have a
uniform appearance with no cracks or gaps between joints and court markings must be straight.
Courts with blended lines (as specified in Appendix H) may be used for match and practice courts at
Men’s and Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour 15s and 25s – such courts may not be used as match
courts at Women’s ITF World Tennis Tour 60s, 80s and 100s. No additional court markings may
appear on match courts in any Tournament category, e.g. court markings for other sports.
Courts and their fixtures must present no undue risk of injury to players, officials or spectators. The
playability of a court shall be determined by the ITF Supervisor who may insist on work being carried
out to improve the quality of court(s) before play may begin. If there are insufficient playable courts
and alternative solutions for conducting the Tournament cannot be found, the ITF Supervisor, in
consultation with the ITF, has the right to cancel the Tournament, in which case the Tournament will
pay a minimum of first round losers prize money to all Main Draw players and will also be responsible
for the reimbursement of reasonable expenses to all players.
Court Preparation
All courts must be kept clean, well maintained throughout the competition and safe for play. Clay
surface courts shall be swept, watered (if necessary) and lines cleaned before the start of all
matches. Carpet and hard courts shall be clean and cleared of all ball fluff, dust and debris as and
when required. Grass courts shall be cut and maintained as required – recommended play height
of the grass is no more than 8 millimetres. Full information on court maintenance guidelines can
be found on the ITF Website (https://www.itftennis.com/en/about-us/tennis-tech/facilities/).
All match courts must have backdrops behind the baseline. Where on-court banners are used, they
must be of uniform colour and must not be painted in light colours that will interfere with player
visibility. All backdrops and windscreens (windbreaks) must not use shades of white or yellow
lettering.
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